1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the installation and mounting of sanitary fittings, in particular providing a device for protection of a mounting block during installation, which facilitates flushing and testing.
2. Prior Art
Sanitary fittings are frequently secured in concealed form. This means that they are connected in a depression within a wall or niche to the house plumbing mains. This generally takes place prior to the completion of the wall surface. It is known to place in said niche so-called concealed boxes, which mainly serve to seal the sanitary fitting with respect to the wall. However, the concealed boxes can also be used in such a way that during installation they protect the fitting against dirt and damage.
It is also known to construct sanitary fittings in such a way that they comprise a connection block and the actual operational parts, which are connected to the connection block. Here connection only takes place of the connection block with the pipes within the niche and only after completing the wall surface are the operational parts connected to the connection block.
During the completion of the wall surface there is a risk of the sanitary fitting becoming damaged or of dirt penetrating openings leading to the water pipes and which can subsequently lead to a malfunction of the fittings.
An object of the invention is to provide a possibility of preventing any risk of contamination of pipe branches within a house plumbing system.
The protective device proposed by the invention can e.g. be fitted to the fitting or the connection block for the fitting in the factory. The connection block and/or fitting is then already protected during installation. The covering is fitted to the fitting part in such a way that the outlets which are or will be connected to the water pipes are protected against the penetration of dirt or the like.
It is also possible to fit the protective device to the fitting part only after installation has taken place, so that protection exists during the subsequent completion of the wall surface, e.g. by tiling.
As soon as the wall is completed, the covering can be removed again. This can take place either together with the skirt or apron or in such a way that said skirt or apron remains in the wall. It is e.g. conceivable for the skirt to be fixed to the tiles during the formation of a tile system. It is then appropriate to leave the skirt in the wall in order to bring about a clean definition of the niche. This is made possible by the invention, because only the separable means have to be removed, e.g. using pliers, a knife or some other tool, which the fitter normally carries with him.
According to a further development of the invention the covering is fastened by screws to fastening openings of the sanitary fitting or the connection block for the same. Thus, use is made of the already existing fastening holes. There is no need to adapt the fitting or connection block to the protective device.
According to a further development of the invention the skirt, which surrounds the fitting and which has a substantially closed circumference, is only connected to the covering device and is consequently not screwed to the fitting.
According to a further development of the invention the skirt is provided on its back directed towards the interior of the niche with open recesses for the connections leading to the fitting part.
The skirt can in particular be constructed in such a way that it extends to the bottom of a niche receiving the sanitary fitting.
The connecting means between the covering device and the skirt can e.g. be designed in such a way that when the covering is removed again from the fitting it is simply torn off. A possibility which is preferred in the present invention consists of implementing the connecting means by ridges present between the skirt and the covering. These ridges can e.g. be formed in that there are large area holes in a plate and the ridges are left between them. In particular these openings and/or ridges can be constructed in such a way that on the edge of the skirt a circumferential circular ridge is left and brings about a stiffening of the skirt.
For example the covering can be constructed on a roughly planar plate, which fills the inner area of the skirt with the exception of openings located along its edge.
According to another further development the covering covers the outlet so as not only to protect against the penetration of dirt, but also covers it so as to provide a seal to the outside in pressure-resistant manner. Thus, the protective device can also be used for carrying out a pressure test on the house plumbing pipes and for this purpose the covering remains fixed to the fitting part.
According to another further development the covering not only provides a pressure-resistant seal to the outside, but also connects two outlet, preferably in such a way that no undercut openings or edges are formed, so that it is possible to flush the mains.
It is particularly advantageous if the skirt is so constructed and dimensioned that not only the connection block for the sanitary fitting can be installed therein, but also the sanitary fittings.